Unexpected Friend
by icewolf8
Summary: Jack and Ennis get help from an unexpected source. My first fic. Please R
1. Chapter 1

-1

Disclaimer: Not mine wish they were. Not real, really wish they were. Annie Proulx is a lady of great vision and insight.

**UNEXPECTED FRIEND**

Childress, TX. June 1983

Jack walked out of the house and hopped into his truck. He'd been thinking it over the last couple of weeks. He couldn't let the argument he'd had with Ennis just end there. What he was gonna say he didn't rightly know, but, he had to try something. Suddenly, a face at his window drug him out of his thoughts. Looking over he saw a handsome man with brown hair, hazel eyes and an easy grin. He felt his own easy grin fall into place in answer.

"Howdy, Jack Twist, ya doin alright today?" the stranger asked.

Jack suddenly got a cold feelin in his stomach. _How the hell does he know my name, _he thought. _He don't look familiar so I know I ain't never met him afore."_

"Look, I know ya don't know me, but, I do know you," the stranger said, "know'd ya fer a long time now. I was hopin' we could go for a drink somewhere and I can explain myself to ya. I'm not out at hurt ya, Jack." The stranger suddenly cast a wry smile on his face. "Ennis would never forgive me if'n I did hurt ya. Hell, knowin him, he'd track me down and kill me just fer looking at ya."

"_Shit fire, this is just getting better n better. Oh well, Lureen's still at work, so, might as well see what it is he wants."_

Deciding to go ahead and invite him in, Jack hops outta the truck. "Come on in," he says, "but, ya better make it quick gotta long way to go."

Leavin the stranger in the living room, Jack heads into the kitchen to grab a couple of beers. Handing the stranger his beer, Jack can't help but be a little worried about this. He doesn't know that he's an open book to this stranger.

"Ya can rest easy, Jack, I told ya I'm not out to hurt ya. By the way, my apologies fer fergettin my manners. My name's Mike. Mike Johnson."

Jack heaves a deep sigh, _might's well get this over with,_ "Pleasure meetin ya, Mike, now ya wanna tell me just what yer runnin off about? How is it ya know me and Ennis?"

"Well, to tell ya the truth, I know'd all about you two from the very beginning. Ya first met Ennis in 1963 outside of Aguirre's office, don't mind sayin he's a real low-life piece of scum. Anyway, Ennis was leanin up agin the building when you come rattlin in with that piece of shit of yours. Y'all were there for a job runnin Aguirre's sheep up to Brokeback."

Jack was getting paler by the second listenin to this Mike talk about what only he and Ennis knew. He about got physically sick when Mike started to get to the end of his story.

"By the way," Mike says with a solemn look on his face, "ya might wanna stay away from Hwy 283 in the near future. Your trip down that particular road don't turn out pleasant. In fact, if I was you I'd go on and head for Wyoming and not look back."

"Why y'all telling me this? What's in it fer you?"

"Nothins in it fer me. It's just that I like ya Jack, you and Ennis both, even though he reminds me of a stubborn mule I had once. But, I will tell ya this, if I get found helping ya even this little bit I'm in real deep shit."

Jack just say there in silence, mulling it all over a bit. This ole boy knows way too much about him and Ennis. Didn't look old enough to 've been around back then. Finally he takes another swig of his beer, looks at Mike and asks, "Well, what ya think I should do about it?"

"I think ya should just go on up to Riverton and lay yer heart out to him. Let him know how ya feel. If'n that don't work, then knock him upside the head with a two-by-four. He might listen then."

Jack had to smile at the image of hittin Ennis with that two-by-four. "Already told him how I feel. Didn't work worth a damn," Jack sighs.

"Ya didn't do it right, Jack, and those words ya used weren't the right thing to say at the time. Oh yeah, and Mexico shoulda never been mentioned at the time."

"Really fucked that one up, mentionin Mexico."

"Sure did. And I'll tell ya what. If'n ya don't mind. I'd like at go with ya to see him. Have a few things to tell him myself."

"Don't know about that, Mike. Ennis is stubborn at the best of times, down right dangerous if'n ya was to get him riled up."

"I can take care of Ennis. 'Sides, what I gotta say at him is actually as important as what I told you. Now, go pack ya a bag. And whatever else ya might wanna take with ya."

Riverton, WY. 1983

Ennis is sittin on the back steps of his trailer nursing another beer. His thoughts kept wandering back to the fight he'd had with Jack. Every time he pictured Jacks face that day his heart would break a little more. He was still sittin there an hour later when he spotted a vehicle comin up the road. When it got a little closer, his heart jumped into his throat. Jack was back. _His _Jack was back. When the truck pulled up to the house, his eyes started getting narrow and he felt his temper risin. There was someone else in the truck with Jack. Had Jack come up here only to flaunt a new lover in his face?

Mike, who had been starin at Ennis as they approached the house, said, "He's pissed. Let me talk to him first. You stay here."

Hopping out of the truck, Mike walked over to Ennis as he was starting to get up. He wore his usual lopsided grin, but if you looked closely you could see the grin didn't reach his suddenly cold eyes.

"Howdy, Ennis Del Mar, name's Mike. We need to talk," he said stopping a few feet from Ennis. He could see Ennis was staring right past him and knew where that gaze was directed. "Jack's not at fault here. I'm the one told him to come and to bring me."

"Really?" Ennis said dryly. "And just why'd that be?"

Mike's eyes got even colder at Ennis's tone. "You're a man of few words," he said, "so what I want ya to do is sit down and shut up and let me talk."

A little surprised at the kids' tone, Ennis thinks about deckin him, but decides not to. "Bring it inside. And bring him with ya, want him where I can see him." With that Ennis walks into the trailer and sits at the table waiting. He watches thru the kitchen winder as Mike walks back to the truck, says something to Jack and they both head inside takin seats across from Ennis.

After looking at each other for a minute with Ennis deliberately ignoring Jack, Mike decides to start.

"First off, Ennis, you can get that thought out of yer head. I'm not Jacks new lover. Bein he's a right handsome man, I wouldn't mind it, but he belongs to you."

At that, Ennis's gaze snaps right to Mike's. "I ain't no queer," he growls voice dangerously low.

"Never said ya was, Ennis, but, I do happen to know of the love between you two and I aim to see that love survive come hell or high water," Mike shoots back not the least bit intimidated by the implied threat. "You two have a destiny to be together. What happened after Brokeback wasn't supposed to happen. You were sent to Brokeback specifically so you could meet. Alma and Lureen weren't meant for you. And, I'm sorry to say, neither were the girls or Bobby. Now don't look at me like that, Ennis, all I'm sayin is the kids were destined for greater things. Y'all screwed up a whole lot here by parting ways after Brokeback. Do y'all know what soul-mates are?"

Hearing a slight gasp from Jack, they both turned to look at him to see he was pale as a ghost. Shifting his gaze to Ennis, Mike caught the look of worry in his eyes at seeing Jack so pale.

"What is it, Jack?" Mike asks softly. "Tell us what you know."

Taking a deep breath, Jack finally shakes himself out of his memories. "Not much to tell. Somethin my momma told me when I was about 13 or so. About how she knew that there was always one person meant for another on this planet. Sometimes they find each other, but, it's more common that they don't."

"That's right, Jack. That is a soul-mate."

"Wait a minute," Ennis piped up suddenly, " are you tryin to tell us that Jack and I are one of these soul-mate things? That we're supposed to be together?"

"Yes, Ennis, that's exactly what I'm sayin. I'm also sayin that you two royally fucked things up when ya split up after Brokeback," Mike replies. "And I'm also sayin that that's the reason I'm here. To try to fix this mess y'all made. Destiny himself is right pissed off cause y'all messed up his plans."

"Just who the hell are you?" Jack asks.

"That will be explained in a little bit. Right now, I wanna know, do y'all wanna go back to Brokeback and do it right this time or do ya wanna do it here?"

"What do you mean go back to Brokeback? Time don't reset itself. Even I know that," Ennis says.

"I'm only talkin Brokeback right now, not then, Ennis. So, whatta ya wanna do? There or here?" Mike asks again.

Ennis and Jack exchange looks a silent message passing between them. Finally, they turn to Mike. "Brokeback," Jack says. "It's where it all began."

"Alright. Ennis, ya might wanna grab your coat then we can go."

Ennis gets up and heads into the bedroom to get his coat, his heart beating a mile a minute. _I must be dreamin, _he thinks, _I must be. I can't believe this guy thinks he can help Jack and I make things right between us._ Retrieving his coat, he heads back to the kitchen to see that Jack and Mike are still sitting there.

"Whatta y'all waitin on, let's get goin," he says.

"Ennis," Mike says softly, "are you willing to make things right here? Cause I can tell ya fer a fact that this is no dream."

It's Ennis's turn for his face to pale. He could have sworn he'd said all that in his head. How could this stranger know what he was thinking?

"I can pick up thoughts if they are emotionally charged, but, mostly what I can sense come from the heart."

"And just whatta ya think my heart is telling ya?" Ennis asks skeptically.

"That we'd better get to Brokeback before ya try to knock my head off. We ready?"

"Yeah," Jack says as he starts to get up. He reaches for the keys on the table.

"Leave the keys, Jack." Mike says, "ya won't need 'em"

Jack just looks at Mike incredulously. "Just how the hell we gonna get there then, without the truck?"

"Like this," Mike says and suddenly there's a flash of light. When it clears, they find themselves at their old campsite. Jack and Ennis are standing shoulder to shoulder near the tent facing Mike. Looking around, they see that the campsite is set up and ready for use. The tent is where it always goes with blankets and pillows. The campfire is well stocked and lit. Ennis and Jack just trade glances of amazement before turning back to Mike to see him standing there in a white suit instead of the cowboy getup he was wearing.

"Everything you need is here," Mike says. "And, even though it's actually frowned upon, we decided to let you have your whiskey too. There's also enough food to last you a few days. And, by the way, you might wanna try to fish this time. Just for something new to do. When your ready to leave, just call me and I'll help you get back."

Turning to leave, Mike suddenly remembers something. Turning back he looks at Ennis," Almost forgot. Got a message for you, Ennis. A very beautiful lady came to me and asked me to give you this message. She said, 'If that stubborn, foolish son of mine doesn't get off his ass and do right by Jack, I'm coming down there and kick his tail all the way to Texas.' Also, y'all might wanna think on my name a bit and I think you'll see just how high your case went. Have fun." With that Michael starts walking away fading as he goes.

Puzzled by that last statement, Jack doesn't notice that Ennis has gone pale again. _Mike, _he thinks, _Mike. Michael. OH MY GOD. _Turning to Ennis his surprised look turns to worry as he sees the tears on Ennis's face. "Ennis?" he asks. "Ennis. You ok, cowboy?"

Shaking himself out of his trance, Ennis finally looks at Jack and say, "Yeah. I'm fine. It was just his message that got me."

"What message?"

"The one he said was from a lady. The one that said that if I don't do right by you she'd come down and kick my tail clear to Texas. It was my momma said that, Jack."

"Oh man, Ennis, she must really be pissed off at us then. But, I have another surprise fer ya. That Mike fella."

"What about him?" Ennis asks.

"My momma told me about him once, when I was younger. He wasn't just any Mike, Ennis. He is the Archangel Michael. Man, I guess our 'case' really did get pretty high up there for him to come down here and kick our tails for us," Jack said with a grin.

Ennis couldn't stop the smile that crossed his face. "Well, Rodeo," he says, "guess we need to get busy settin things right then. Wouldn't want all of 'em to get pissed off at us, would we?" He reaches out and takes hold of the back of Jack's head and pulls him in for a kiss of the deepest, purist passion. Breaking off, he pulls back and looks Jack in the eye. "Lil Darlin'," he whispers, "Mah Lil Darlin'. I love ya."

With tears in his eyes at those three little words he'd longed to hear from him, Jack whispers back, "I love ya, too, Cowboy."


	2. Chapter 2

_Michael was sitting at the desk in his office going over some case files when a voice from nowhere and everywhere called his name._

"_Michael."_

"_Yes, Sir," he answered._

"_We have a problem with on of your cases. Behold," the voice said. Suddenly a mirror like object appeared in the room with a scene playing on it. In the scene he watched Jack and Ennis's last fight at the trailhead._

"_Ah. Those two again. I thought we had the problem fixed already, Sir."_

"_It suddenly became unfixed, Michael. I need you to fix it again. Otherwise I'll be forced to take drastic measures I don't really wanna take."_

"_Understood, Sir. What rules apply here?"_

"_No, rules. I'm giving you all the leeway you need for this. As the mortals say, I'll be damned if I let them screw up one of my miracles."_

"_Understood, Sir. On my way."_

_With that Michael found himself on a sidewalk watching as a man came out of his house and hopped into his truck. Taking a deep breath, Michael thought, "Well, here goes." _


End file.
